Round-the-Clock Purple and Gold

The only thing truly threatening the Lakers (33-13) when they host the Sacramento Kings (10-33) Friday night at Staples Center is that they meet a sub-.500 opponent just two days before their NBA Finals reunion with the Boston Celtics. They face a team they beat by double-digit margins in two previous games during the 2010-2011 regular season. And the issues surrounding the Lakers (quest to three-peat) are dramatically different than the ones for the Kings (youth, failure to execute, possibility the franchise will relocate).

This isn't exactly Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals we're going to see. Still, the teams need to play the game and there are a few storylines.

Among the highlights of my conversation with Jason Jones, the Sacramento Bee's Kings beat reporter:

--What the Kings would need to do to exploit any lack of focus from the Lakers.